The present invention relates to a process cartridge remanufacturing method. Here, a process cartridge means such a cartridge that integrally comprises at minimum a developing means and an electrophotographic photoconductive member, and that is removably mountable in the main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (for example, LED printer, laser beam printer, and the like), an electrophotographic facsimile, an electrophotographic word processor, and the like.
In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a process cartridge system has long been employed. According to this system, an electrophotographic photoconductive member, and a single or plurality of processing means, which act on the electrophotographic photoconductive member, are integrated into a form of a cartridge removably mountable in the main assembly of the image forming apparatus. This system enables a user him/her self to maintain the apparatus without relying on a service person, immensely improving the operability of the apparatus. Thus, the process cartridge system has been widely used in the field of an image forming apparatus.
A process cartridge such as the one described above forms an image on recording medium with the use of developer (toner) contained therein. Therefore, the amount of the developer therein gradually reduces with image formation, eventually to a level below which it fails to form an image satisfactory in quality to the user who purchased the process cartridge. At this point, the process cartridge loses its commercial value.
Thus, it has long been desired to realize a simple method for remanufacturing a process cartridge so that a process cartridge which has lost its commercial value due to the depletion of the developer therein can be marketed again.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple method for remanufacturing a process cartridge.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for remanufacturing a process cartridge, the commercial value of which has been lost due to the consumption of the developer therein to a level below which the process cartridge fails to forms an image satisfactory in quality to a user who has purchased the process cartridge.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remanufacturing method for a process cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, wherein said process cartridge including a drum frame supporting an electrophotographic photosensitive drum and having at one end a driving force receiving portion for receiving a driving force for rotating said electrophotographic photosensitive drum from the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus when said process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus; a developing frame supporting a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum, a developer frame having a developer accommodating portion for accommodating a developer to be used to develop the electrostatic latent image by said developing roller; a first end cover fixed to one longitudinal ends of said drum frame, said developing frame and said developer frame and fixed to said one ends of said drum frame and said developer frame; and a second end cover fixed to the other longitudinal ends of said drum frame, said developing frame and said developer frame and fixed to the other ends of said drum frame and said developer frame, said second end cover including a grip for facilitating mounting and demounting of process cartridge relative to the main assembly of electrophotographic image forming apparatus, said method comprising:
(a) an end cover removing step of cutting a fixing portion between said first end cover and said drum frame and cutting a fixing portion between said first end cover and said developer frame, and removing said first end cover at said other longitudinal ends of said drum frame, said developing frame and said developer frame;
(b) an end cover removing step of cutting a fixing portion between said second end cover and said drum frame and cutting a fixing portion between said second end cover and said developer frame, and removing said second end cover at said other longitudinal ends of said drum frame, said developing frame and said developer frame;
(c) a drum frame separating step of pulling, after said developer frame is removed, a pin provided in said one longitudinal end of said drum frame out of said drum frame, and removing a spring mounted between one longitudinal end of said drum frame and one longitudinal end of said developing frame, and then separating said drum frame and said developing frame;
(d) a drum bearing removing step of removing, at said other ends, a drum bearing supporting said electrophotographic photosensitive drum at said one ends;
(e) a drum shaft removing step of removing, at said other ends, a drum shaft supporting said electrophotographic photosensitive drum at said other ends;
(f) a drum removing step of removing said one end of said electrophotographic photosensitive drum from said drum frame, thus removing said photosensitive drum from said drum frame;
(g) a drum mounting step of inserting one end of a new electrophotographic photosensitive drum having at one end a driving force receiving portion for receiving a driving force for rotating said electrophotographic photosensitive drum from the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus when process cartridge is mounted to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus, such that driving force receiving portion is exposed outside said drum frame, and inserting the drum shaft at the other end from outside of said drum frame, thus mounting a new drum electrophotographic photosensitive drum to said drum frame;
(h) a developing frame coupling step of inserting, after said electrophotographic photosensitive drum is mounted to said drum frame, the pin through or into said one longitudinal end of drum frame and said one longitudinal end of said developing frame, and mounting the spring between said one longitudinal end of said drum frame and said one longitudinal end of said developing frame, thus coupling said drum frame and said developing frame;
(i) a developer refilling step of refilling a developer into said developer accommodating portion;
(j) a first end cover mounting step of fixedly mounting a first end cover to said one longitudinal ends of said drum frame, said developing frame and said developer frame; and
(k) a second end cover mounting step of fixedly mounting a second end cover to said other longitudinal ends of said drum frame, said developing frame and said developer frame.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.